Semester Ticket

Once you are registered with the university you will receive your student ID-card. This student ID-card also serves as a semester ticket and authorises students at all colleges and universities in Bochum to use the local public transport during the semseter. The ticket fee is included in the social insurance contribution every student has to pay. The Semester Ticket is also valid at night, during weekends and semster breaks.
There are two different kinds of Semester Ticket s- the VRR-Ticket: is only valid for the routes of Rhein-Ruhr transit authority.
The NRW-Ticket authorises you to travel throughout entire North Rhine-Westphalia and use almost all means of transport.

For further information about the Semester Ticket plaes go to:

• http://www.vrr.de/./Tickets_und_Tarife/vielfahrer/semesterticket.htm
• http://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/studienbuero/studitic.htm
• http://www.asta-bochum.de/semesterticket_article61.html
• http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/NRW-Tarif
• http://www.nahverkehr.nrw.de/d/3832/
• http://www.studenten-nrw-ticket.de/ 

Territory

The semester ticket is valid in the linked transport system (Verkehrsverbund) Rhein-Ruhr, VRR, which reaches from Dortmund to the west of Düsseldorf and from Dorsten to Remscheid (as shown on the map). This large linked transport system connects many small local traffic companies, like the BoGeStra (Bochum-Gelsenkirchen tram corporation), which is responsible for the area of Bochum and Gelsenkirchen.

In the grey areas of the map, the ticket is only valid if you live there and study at a University in the VRR area.

Means of transportation

The semester ticket is valid in all public buses, subways and streetcars within the VRR. It is also valid in second-class compartments of regional trains and suburban trains ("S-Bahn"). Exceptions are some private bus lines (e.g. the "Airport Express" to Dortmund airport) and fast trains (IC, EC, D-Zug and ICE).

One of the most unusual vehicles that you can use with the semester ticket is the suspended railway in Wuppertal. Just try it if you get to Wuppertal!

• Network map of Bochum: http://www.vrr.de/Uploads/Stadtlinienplaene/Bochum.pdf
• Fast trains within the VRR: http://efa.vrr.de/vrr/linienplan_schnellverkehr.pdf

Special offers

The semester ticket offers you a number of special opportunities:

Taking other people with you ("Personenmitnahme")
You can take one more person – no matter who – with you within the whole VRR area, on weekdays after 7 p.m. and all day on weekends and public holidays.

Taking your bike with you ("Fahrradmitnahme")
You can take a bike with you for free, on weekdays after 9 a.m. and all day on weekends and public holidays – but only if there is sufficient space in the vehicle.

"AnrufSammelTaxi" (a taxi service for groups)
Students pay a reduced fee for AnrufSammelTaxis (AST). They replace certain bus lines at night between 10 p.m. and 12 p.m., if there are no buses going any more at this time. This group taxi stops at bus stops or 500 meters around them. The AnrufSammelTaxi only comes if you call 15 to 30 minutes in advance. To do this, call the BoGeStra at 0234/333 00 333; or like any other taxi, you can also call it while from a bus or a train.

Currently, there are group taxis on the following routes within Bochum:

AST46 Weitmar Mitte - Munscheider Straße and back
AST52 Linden Mitte - Eiberger Straße and back
AST53 Blankensteiner Straße - Sundern and back
AST72 Ruhr-Universität - Semperstraße and back